Though the shutdown has not affected train and flight operations, hundreds of passengers who alighted at the city railway station and the global airport in the early hours were stranded in the absence of buses and cabs.
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Most of the information technology (IT) firms in Bangalore – home to software majors like Infosys and Wipro as well as almost 400 multinationals – were closed, broadcaster NDTV reported.
Similarly, factories, offices, banks, markets, shops, malls, hotels, eateries, pubs, bars, theatres and petrol bunks closed in support of the shutdown.
Shivaraj Kumar has extended his support to the Karnataka bandh call given by the pro-Kannada organisations and farmer groups.
The state is also pinning its hope on the Cauvery Supervisory Committee to rework the amount of water to be released to its neighboring state due to the distress situation in Karnataka.
He says that the judges knew that they were passing an order contrary to the law and hence this amounts to an offence.
The bandh will see a complete shutdown of the state and plans are afoot to block roads and stop traffic.
“We are making all required arrangements”. Protests are so far peaceful barring an incident in Bellary where Tamilnadu registered lorries were pelted with stones. The transgender community in the district also took part in the bandh related demonstrations.
The Chief Minister also held a meeting of senior officials of Home and police departments to review security measures. However, some State government offices that opened in the morning, were later forced to close down by the protestors. Police said the government has deployed extra forces – two companies each from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, one from Maharashtra and 10 from the central forces are now in Karnataka.
As many as 60,000 policemen along with Central Paramilitary Force personnel have been deployed.
Kannada Okkoota, led by Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj will be holding a “massive” protest march from Town hall to Freedom Park in city.
Schools and colleges have also chose to remain shut, joining the protest.
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In adherence to the Supreme Court order, Karnataka had, from Tuesday night begun releasing 15,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, as against its own generous offer to release 10,000 cusecs a day.
